The Olympus E-3; A Pro-Caliber 10Mp D-SLR Page 3

The white balance presets often produced very good results except under artificial
lighting. Activating the new external white balance sensor provided greater
accuracy in such conditions, but the Custom and Kelvin white balance features
were still required for perfect results. The "gradation control"
options should be useful for providing greater highlight and shadow detail under
contrasty conditions, but they did not provide a significant improvement. Even
so, I would recommend leaving the camera set to the Auto Gradation mode, for
a slightly wider dynamic range.

Low ISO image quality is superlative. My best ISO 100 to 400 JPEGs are clean,
silky smooth, and finely detailed. Resolution is outstanding, color saturation,
contrast, and sharpness are quite high for a very pleasing overall effect. In
all of these aspects the E-3 is even better than the EVOLT E-510. I was able
to make gallery-quality 13x17" inkjet prints at 240dpi after slight optimization
and re-sizing in Photoshop CS3. The ISO 100 and 200 images would stand up to
much greater enlargement.

I did not hesitate to use ISO 1600 when necessary for fast shutter
speeds. At this sensitivity level, the images are more "grainy"
but the pattern is fine and tight; prints as large as 8x10"
are highly satisfactory. (Image made with the SWD 50-200mm zoom,
at 1/100 sec.)

At ISO 800 digital noise is certainly apparent but it's not objectionable;
resolution of intricate detail is well maintained. By ISO 1600 and especially
at ISO 3200, the noise pattern is obvious but the specks are not colorful so
the effect resembles film grain. Because the noise pattern obliterates intricate
detail at ISO 3200, that level is really for use when there's no other
way to get a steady photo in dark conditions. Setting a higher level for the
Noise Filter does produce smoother images but smudges fine details causing a
loss of resolution.

When using the standard level for the in camera Noise Filter, images
made at ISO 800 are quite smooth and finely detailed, better than
average in overall quality. A higher and lower noise reduction level
can be selected, but Standard produced the best results at ISO levels
above 400. (Image made in Vivid Picture Style mode at ISO 800 with
the SWD 12-60mm zoom.)

The JPEG algorithms are really excellent so there's really no need to
shoot in the Raw mode in terms of image quality; the difference is barely noticeable
even in 11x15" prints. Of course, a raw capture does provide other benefits:
greater color depth (if desired) and the ability to make major technical modifications
with a nondestructive process in the raw converter software. The Olympus Master
2 program is family-oriented, providing only basic raw adjustment tools. It's
worth paying extra for the multipurpose Olympus Studio 2 program which provides
many pro-caliber utilities; it also allows for remote control of the E-3 from
a tethered computer.
The Bottom Line
Higher resolution or a faster framing rate might attract a wider range of professionals,
at least those who do not already own a full system of another brand. On the
other hand, not everyone needs to shoot more than 25 frames in 5 seconds and
the 10-megapixel resolution is adequate for many purposes. Because of its great
reliability, comprehensive feature set, and great image quality, the Olympus
model should certainly appeal to the most advanced photo enthusiast. More importantly
perhaps, the price is right! In fact, in the professional category, this one
deserves my "Best Value" award. It's not only the most affordable
but offers excellent return on the investment, making Olympus competitive in
the high-end category.

I did not hesitate to use ISO 1600 when necessary for fast shutter
speeds. At this sensitivity level, the images are more "grainy"
but the pattern is fine and tight; prints as large as 8x10"
are highly satisfactory. (Image made with the SWD 50-200mm zoom,
at 1/100 sec.)

The Olympus Master 2 program includes a browser as well as some
tools for JPEG or raw image adjustment. It's fine for occasional
family use but serious photographers will want the optional Studio
2 software or Photoshop Elements 6 or CS3, especially for raw file
enhancement.